Aerodynamic drag (wind resistance) accounts for a majority of energy losses incurred by truck and tractor vehicles when traveling at highway speeds. Reducing drag improves fuel efficiency.
Existing front bumper assemblies for highway trucks or tractor vehicles typically include a wide center section, corner sections adjacent to the center section, and a center deflector below the center section. A corner deflector may also be arranged below each corner section. A potential benefit of providing a bumper assembly in multiple parts is that if a single part is damaged in a collision, then that part may be individually replaced without requiring replacement of the entire bumper assembly.
Typically, a center section of a truck or tractor vehicle front bumper is substantially forward-facing, and includes a forward opening to admit air into an engine compartment to facilitate cooling of an engine radiator. A center deflector arranged below the center section typically includes a curved outer surface to direct air below the engine compartment. To provide sufficient structural integrity and vibration resistance, an inner surface of a conventional center deflector may include numerous ribs (e.g., longitudinal and/or diagonal ribs) terminating at an upwardly-extending edge flange positioned at a trailing edge of the deflector. Drain holes may also be provided along the edge flange to facilitate water drainage. Air admitted into the engine compartment through the forward opening of the center section is directed toward and along the inner surface of the center deflector. As one stream of air flowing along the inner surface of the center deflector rejoins another stream of air directed below the engine compartment by the outer surface of the center deflector, the two airflow streams typically create a disrupted airflow region, with such disrupted airflow leading to increased aerodynamic drag.
A need exists in the art for improvements in center deflectors and front bumpers of highway truck or tractor vehicles to overcome limitations of conventional devices.